Come On Closer - THE SEQUEL
by im still tophergirl0102
Summary: Here is the long overdue JE finish to Come on Closer. Its turning out to be a multi chapter sequel ! I lost access to my old ID so posting this with a new ID, sorry. Hope you like it ! JE, ED.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note – Hello All. I lost access to my previous id; it's a long story and not a very interesting one. But I did promise a JE ending to 'Come on Closer' so here it is. It's more a multichapter Sequel now. I am trying to write slightly shorter chapters so I can update more often.**

**If you are wondering if this really is the same person who wrote the first part, well it should be clear once you start reading! Obvious adoration of Topher, Dual membership in both the ED and JE ships & overly mushy writing style all as intact as ever. **

**For some reason, I kept listening to Adele's Skyfall over and over again while writing this chapter , maybe because that song is everywhere at the moment. But it fit the tone of this chapter quite well. **

**This is the last chapter in this story in which Donna has any lines, unfortunately. You will have JE interaction from the next chapter. It won't be a smooth road for them, though they will get there in the end!**

Chapter 1

5 Years Later

Summer of '83

4pm, New York

Donna Pinciotti looked out of the huge window of the airport departures lounge. There was heavy rain falling in sheets outside. But her mood that evening was quite sunny.

The two day Journalist's conference was over and she was flying back to Wisconsin that evening.

Eric was coming to Milwaukee airport to get her. But instead of driving back to their apartment at Madison, they were heading into Point Place for the weekend.

Their wedding was just 2 months away now timed for just after they officially graduated college. They hadn't spent the weekend with the parents in a while now and Kitty was very eager to firm up plans for the wedding day.

She smiled as she looked at grey skies outside. She didn't really mind one way or the other about the wedding arrangements & was perfectly content to let Kitty take all the major decisions. The only part that she really cared about was that at last, she got to see her childhood sweetheart slip his ring on her finger. The excitement in her grey eyes made them shine a bright blue.

She had a big surprise for Eric. It wasn't something that she had got at NYC for him. She had been carrying it with her when she left the Mid West a few days ago. But she hadn't been sure yet then.

She hadn't wanted to get him all excited over a false alarm.

But she was pretty sure now. She had literally had to run from the breakfast table at the hotel that morning at the sight and smell of the fried bacon and eggs.

She had made a long distance call earlier to book an appointment for herself at a local OB GYN for Monday morning to formally confirm what she already knew.

Suddenly she felt like she couldn't wait a moment longer to tell Eric the news. This was happening much earlier than they had originally planned but she knew he would be just as thrilled as she felt.

She knew her career plans would have to be adjusted, maybe even put on hold for a while. But even that didn't dim the joy she felt right now.

Spotting a phone booth nearby, she quickly strolled over.

A few minutes later, she was still trying to call long distance through to their apartment number. Eric wouldn't be leaving for the airport for a while yet.

'Hello'

'Hey' .Her smile widened at the sound of his beautiful voice.

'Donna! Where are you? Why aren't you at the airport yet?' His first thought was that her work there wasn't through yet and she was calling to say she would be staying a few more days.

'Eric, I'm at the airport. The flight's not yet boarding though, they're fixing something and everyone is waiting.'

His voice sounded more relaxed now. 'So I take it everything went well then. You sound very pleased with yourself'

Suddenly she changed her mind again. She didn't want to tell him over the phone.

'I have a surprise for you. You'll find out when I'm there'

'Hmm' His voice sounded a little lower now. 'A surprise, huh? Maybe we should drop by here again for a while before the drive to Point Place. That way, we'd be alone when you gave me my surprise'.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help a giggle as well. 'It's not that kind of a surprise, Eric. I'll tell you what it is as soon as I see you.'

'Okay, can't wait to find out what it is. In fact, I can't wait to see my beautiful fiancée again'

She felt the exact same way. It had been a long three days without him.

'I can't wait to see you again too. Thanks for being so supportive about me coming here to participate. It's been a very good learning experience'.

'Donna, you know you'll always have my support as far as your work goes. But honestly, I don't think I can handle more than two nights away from you. So next time, if you want to do a longer business trip, I just might take time off and come with you. Promise me no more than two nights away from each other ….ever'.

His tone was light-hearted and yet she knew he was being serious too.

'I promise' She said solemnly. And the rest of her statement sounded vow like. 'I promise no more than two nights away from you ….ever'.

She continued.' If either of us ever have to go on one of these things, we'll work it out so the other one goes along'.

'See you soon, Milady'.

'See you soon, Eric.'

She walked back, smile still in place. Her fellow UW student journalist was back with steaming lattes in hand and waiting for her.

They weren't close friends but Melanie had to smile at the satisfied expression on Donna's face as she took a seat next to the slim blonde.

'Well, someone looks very happy to be getting back home again' Melanie said.

'Yes' Donna replied with a smile and left it at that.

She and Eric had continued to be each other's best friends all through the past 4 years at College. Perhaps that was why neither had ever felt the need to have other close friends on campus. She hadn't told any of the others with her on the trip about her probable pregnancy news.

When was the last time she had confided excitedly in a girlfriend, she found herself wondering? She realised it was probably hadn't been since Jackie had left Point Place after graduating from High School.

Jackie had liked her dad's idea of college in Europe and had moved to Paris to study Textile Design almost 3 years ago. The two girls had kept in touch through letters quite regularly at first, but Donna realised with a pang that they hadn't spoken in months now.

She promised herself that she would call Jackie that weekend and tell her about the news and update her on the wedding plans as well.

Both Eric and Donna had job offers to start as soon as classes ended in a few week's time, so she knew she'd be able to afford all the long distance calls to Jackie and the rest of the gang as well in the weeks preceding the wedding to keep all of them involved in the plans.

Just as the two girls had finished their coffee, they heard the boarding call. Finally. Donna took one final look at the view outside the window before walking away.

**Author note – Okay, you've probably figured out that Donna's flight does not end well. I hope no one reading this feels that it was a rather rude way of ending ED. The way I had written them in the first part, I really couldn't see Eric leaving her or her leaving him for that matter in any way, unless the separation was thrust on them in this way. This will in no way, I hope, make you feel like Jackie will be his 'second choice' but you can make up your mind once a few more chapters are up. Also, I hope ED'ers keep reading as well and tell me what you think as we move through the sequel.**

**Will update the next chapter soon, and I hope you enjoy reading. Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note – Hi, Ive made a couple of fixes to this chapter , and the next one should be up very soon as well!**

**Chapter 2**

_**A few days earlier**_

Jackie Burkhart had travelled to England a couple of weeks ago for a summer fashion show in Central London.

Her designs had been selected by one of the big labels in the Industry and a couple of her ideas were actually being used by them that week. If the designs received good press, there was a possible internship offer for her with them.

She couldn't have been more excited at the possibility right then. She would be graduating in less than a year and it felt like the world was her oyster after that.

A couple of her other classmates had travelled along with her as well. Being able to do all the touristy stuff in London and enjoy the unusually hot summer that year was a bonus to the working trip.

It was still the early hours of the morning that day and Jackie was lying in bed, still asleep.

She was dreaming & it was one of those early morning dreams where a part of her knew that it wasn't real even while she was in the dream but she didn't want to wake up and have it end.

_Jackie was in her room at home in Point Place. There were still weeks to go before summer ended and school opened. She hadn't stirred anywhere outside her home for the past three days. Her parents had fought again a couple of days ago and this time her mother had seemed to take it really badly. She had wanted Jackie by her side constantly and Jackie had complied. She wanted to do whatever she possibly could to help her parents stay together and sort out their differences._

_Three whole days without seeing Eric had been really hard though. They had only been dating a short while, only a couple of months really, but she found herself missing him whenever she wasn't with him._

_Her mother was better that afternoon and had disappeared into her room for a nap hours ago. Jackie wondered if she could make a short trip to his basement that evening. They had a date on Saturday evening but that was still days away._

_It was right then that she heard the familiar sound of the Vista Cruiser pull up outside her window._

_She was at her front door in a second and saw Eric getting out of the car._

_She was surprised he had come over and walked up to him quickly. _

_He spoke first, 'Jackie, I haven't seen you in days, Is everything alright?'_

_She hooked her arms around his neck and smiled at him. 'Yeah, of course I'm okay. Mom wasn't doing well and she needed me at home. She's okay now.'_

_She saw the relief on his face, had he worried about her?_

_She continued. 'Eric, I'm sorry I didn't call or something. I didn't think you would expect to see me before our date on Saturday.'_

'_Jackie, you didn't come by for three whole days. I thought you were mad at me or something…' He was looking down at her like he still wasn't convinced that she hadn't been upset with him about something._

_Her smile widened a little. Why would he think that? It had never even occurred to her that he might assume that._

_She leaned over and pressed her lips against his cheek. 'I should have called. I'm sorry. _

_He turned his head suddenly and their lips met. It was the sweetest kiss she had ever received. She deepened the kiss, pressing herself against him. They were on the street outside her house but for a few minutes she let herself forget that. _

_They had agreed to take things really slow but she hadn't been able to stop all the crazy fantasies she kept having all the time. She wondered if he had them too. Should she ask him? Her heart thudded as she wondered what his answer might be …._

_Would he be embarrassed that she had asked such a brazen question or did guys not mind so much? Would he tell her about one of his fantasies? She wondered if it would be something sweet or something wild or …something that was both …_

_She could feel her blood heat as the kiss continued and her thoughts were in a delicious state of chaos._

'Jackie! Wake up! Are you alright?' The deep voice calling out to her definitely wasn't Eric. She felt almost like crying at being yanked so abruptly out of her dream.

Her bedside alarm clock had apparently been shrieking for the past few minutes and disturbed the others in the apartment as well.

She leaned over and switched it off.

'Jackie' Pier's voice had softened now. 'Can I come in for a minute? Are you okay?'

What? Why did he want to come in? She sat up quickly trying to focus on getting her mind awake. She pulled the sheet quickly to her chin when she remembered that she had gone to sleep clad only in her bra and panties.

The weather had been really sultry the previous night.

'No!' She called out. 'I mean, uh, please give me a few minutes and I'll be out. I'm fine …I just overslept.'

10 minutes later she walked out and joined Pier at the breakfast table in the sunny kitchen. She poured herself some juice and gave him an apologetic smile.

'Sorry. The alarm must have annoyed everyone.'

There were 5 of them staying in the Corporate Service apartment for the week. They had a week more to go before they flew back to Paris.

Pier shrugged with a half smile. 'The others left an hour ago. So, I was the only one around who heard it.' Like most Parisians, he spoke perfect English but with noticeable French accent.

He continued speaking 'So, the others have decided to enjoy the day off and take a look at the museums. Do you want to do one of those Thames Boat cruises, Jacqueline? It's the perfect weather for it today.'

She looked down at her glass of juice. What could she say? Was it supposed to be a sort of a date given that it was only going to be the two of them? A part of her wanted to move on and she hadn't really dated anyone through all the 3 years at college so far.

But could she do it? Date one of her college friends while her subconscious mind continued to dream away about someone else, someone who it wasn't supposed to be thinking that way about…..

She still needed more time. All these years and it hadn't been enough to get over the 'crush' she still had on Eric.

'Thanks Pier. That does sound like fun but I promised to drop in at the Canary Wharf office and help out today with the preparations for Monday.'

He accepted gracefully with another shrug. 'Maybe later this week.'

She was still thinking about his invitation later that morning. 5 years had passed since that fateful summer and that was way too long to harbour a futile crush. She was almost 21 now and it was time to move on, she told herself.

She took the underground tube to commute the short distance over to the East side of the city.

As she reached the office, her thoughts suddenly wandered over to how long it had been since she had last spoken to Donna.

She hadn't even called her once best friend to ask about the wedding plans and offer to help.

As she entered the plush new offices of the Fashion house that she hoped to be working for full time soon, she resolved to call up Donna later that week. And she would also shop for the wedding gift that week too, she decided. Perhaps some lovely artwork that the newlyweds could use in their brand new apartment after the wedding.

**Author note - Sorry, I know this was short and didn't really move the story forward much. But hope you liked it anyway. And I promise that chapter 3 will be up sooner than this one was. Thanks again for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N – Hello All. Here is the next chapter. It's a pretty sad one and I almost thought I would wait till after the holidays to post it, but to make up for this one being sad, I promise some sitcom-y humour and much more cheerfulness in the next chapter ! I should be able to post the next one early next week.**

**Chapter 3**

_**Later that week**_

Jackie woke very late again that Saturday morning. Her work had been very well received all during that week at the fashion event and she was feeling quite pleased with herself. She would be flying back to mainland Europe the next day and classes started again on Monday.

Grabbing a piece of toast from the kitchen, she went over the phone in the living room of the service apartment. The place was unusually quiet and she guessed everyone else was still sleeping in, there had been plenty of celebratory drinking the previous night.

She dialled the number of her student apartment in Paris and as expected, her roommate, Cecile, answered, sounding very much like she was curled up and sobbing right then with a ball of tissues in her hand.

'Ceci, what's wrong?' Jackie was side-tracked from her intention of asking if there had been any calls for her that week.

'Jackie, I think it's over. I thought things were going fine but now it all seems to have gone wrong…'

Her roommate's husky voice trailed off into a fresh round of sobs.

Jackie was pretty sure Cecile was referring to her latest boyfriend, an Australian who had transferred to their college recently. She had been gushing about him non stop in the days before Jackie had left Paris a couple of weeks ago.

'What happened? You guys were doing great just a week ago?'

'He's been avoiding my calls and says he's really busy, Jackie. That has to mean he's thinking of breaking up with me, right?'

Jackie sighed. How many times had she seen this pattern unfold all around her? She fleetingly remembered her own heartbreak years ago when Michael had abruptly split on her that long ago summer. He had preferred driving all the way to California in a van that smelt like fish rather than just stay and tell her that he wasn't ready for commitment in their relationship.

'Ceci 'She wasn't going to give her friend false hopes but neither did she think overreacting was the answer.

'Yeah, it could mean that he needs some space for a while or it could be because he thinks you guys are moving too fast. Or you know, it could be something totally unrelated to his feelings for you. Maybe his favourite grandmother is sick, or he's working on his car ….or … who knows, he's foreign.'

She continued warming up to her theory. 'He's from Australia so, maybe he needs to disappear every now and then to chug beer and watch some stupid sport on TV'.

Jackie, even after 3 years away from home, still referred to all Non-Americans anywhere in the world as foreigners.

She could hear Cecile blowing her nose over the phone.

'Thanks Jackie, you're right. I should wait a few days before letting my heart break'

Jackie had seen Cecile's heart break many times and fully knew that it was capable of mending itself and moving on at remarkable speed.

'Were there any calls for me this week?'

'Oh Jackie, yes, in fact I was searching for your London number all over the place last night' Cecile was speaking in a rush now, remembering the sudden volume of people trying to reach Jackie some hours ago.

'There were two calls from Wisconsin. '

There was the sound of rustling paper as Cecile looked at the names she had written down when the calls had come in. 'Someone called Kitty Forman called very late last night. And then there was another call from someone called Bob Pinciotti. And then your mother called and asked you to call your friends at Wisconsin. Do you need the numbers? '

Jackie ended the call quickly, a knot of anxiety forming in her stomach.

Why would both Kitty and Donna's dad have tried to reach her yesterday night ? What was going on…..

She had only ever dialled the Forman house number a handful of times in all her years at Point Place. But the Pinciotti number was etched clearly in her memory and she quickly called long distance.

Her last thought before Bob answered the call was trying to reassure herself that all the panic was probably only some trivial wedding related crisis like a disagreement over the colour of the bridesmaid dresses.

_**A couple of hours later - Heathrow Airport, London**_

She was still numb with shock as she stood at the British Airways desk having managed to get a last minute ticket on a flight bound west.

She had taken only an hour to leave the apartment after the call to Point Place. She had walked around like a robot getting ready to leave not bothering to see what she was throwing into her bag and what she was leaving behind. Having checked only to make sure that her passport was in her bag, she was heading out of her room when she realised she was shivering.

She and gone back in and lay on her bed for a few minutes to calm herself before forcing her body up again. There was no time right now, she had to get home.

_**10 hours later, **_

_**General Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee**_

Travelling across time zones meant that there still some daylight when she reached Wisconsin. She hired a car at the airport and drove as fast as she possibly could down the highway that would take her home to Point Place.

She almost crashed the car a couple of times when she kept forgetting to stay on the right side of the road.

At any other time, she would have been delighted to be back home. The only place in the world that would ever really feel like home.

She would have rolled down her window to breathe in the fragrance of the crisp summer air, and smiled with delight at the sight of the maple trees and the clear blue skies.

But she was oblivious to all that right then. How could this happen? It was the 80's and they were almost in the 21st century, surely planes didn't just crash anymore and fall out of the sky?

She had almost convinced herself that it all some sort of cruel joke and there would be a logical explanation waiting for her at her destination.

But the tears were already blinding her eyes as she turned into the most familiar street in the world and saw all the visitor cars parked outside the two adjoining houses where she had spent most of her evenings during her teenage years. All the people standing near the driveway had the same expression of shock and disbelief that she was feeling and she knew then that the phone call had not been a cruel joke.

_**Almost 10 days later**_

She had the keys to her parents' house.

The house was deserted right now, just as it had been for long stretches of time ever since her parents had divorced a couple of years ago. Her mother had moved in a huff to the West coast and her father had fled to the East coast. But even the distance of a whole country between them didn't deter them from continuing their arguments. Long distance calls were used to fight about the divorce settlement terms.

She had meant to use the keys and spend a night or two at her childhood home. But in the end, she had stayed right where she was. Both Midge and Kitty seemed to need her around and she couldn't bear to leave yet either.

That morning, she had spent a couple of hours with Midge in Donna's room. Midge's intention had been to look through some of the stuff and start sorting it, but it was way too early for that and they ended up only reminiscing over various objects lying about in the room before coming downstairs to the kitchen again.

They were seated at the kitchen table drinking juice when Bob had come in and asked Midge to take a walk with him. They had left hand in hand.

Jackie looked at them leave and couldn't help remembering how hard Donna had tried to get her parents back together. But in all her years at college her parents had remained un-reconciled and bitter at each other.

Their daughter's passing had finally made them friends again when everything their daughter had tried doing to get them on friendly terms had failed.

Jackie's head ached as she walked slowly back to the house next door.

Kitty had been trying to do everything and be there for everyone in the past few days and had almost collapsed the previous day due to exhaustion. Jackie had made her promise to stay in bed that morning.

She went into the kitchen through the back door and rustled up a tray of food for Kitty and took it upstairs to her. Kitty was fast asleep and Jackie covered the food and left it by her bedside. She tiptoed downstairs to avoid waking the woman whose face was covered with dried tears even in her sleep.

She sat back down at the kitchen table with some juice in her hand. It was as if the house itself was silent in its shock, the very atmosphere was tinged with a lingering sadness that threatened to never go away.

Michael had left the previous day, driving all the way back to Silicon Valley in California where he was now based.

Steven and Fez were still around and were probably in the basement right then. They had both promised Mrs. Forman they would stay with Eric a while longer. But no one knew if it would make any difference to Eric. He had completely withdrawn into his shell and didn't even seem to want to see any of them around right then.

He had driven back to his Madison apartment that morning. Months ago, he and Donna had signed off on a tenancy agreement with their landlord that confirmed that they would vacate the place once they had graduated. So, he didn't have the option now to stay on there, forever, as he now wanted to, at the place where he and Donna had made so many memories in the past few years at college.

Red had gone with him and the idea had been to start packing things up.

But the sound of the car pulling up into the driveway an hour later suggested to Jackie that they had gotten no further in clearing things up at the Madison apartment than she and Midge had at Donna's room next door.

It was too soon and everyone was still in shock.

Red walked in and past her into the living room, acknowledging her with a grim nod. Even he seemed to have visibly aged and weakened in the past week.

She had barely spoken more than a few sentences to Eric in the past week. What could you say to someone who had lost everything he cherished so abruptly like this?

He walked in, and didn't even seem to have noticed her at the table as he sat down numbly.

'Eric, let me get you a drink. And then, it might be a good idea for you to go lie down for a whie.'

He didn't seem to have heard a word of what she had said.

He pulled something out of his coat pocket and laid it on the table.

His voice was hoarse when he spoke ' I found this in the bathroom. She must have taken it just before she left.'

Jackie looked down at the object on the table.

Inside a carefully closed Ziploc cover , was a used pregnancy home test. The result was clearly visible through the transparent plastic – 2 blue lines, the test had shown a positive result.

'That was why she sounded so excited when she called from the airport'.

She was standing next to him as his voice broke while speaking and he laid his head on the table, his eyes closed.

She wanted to say something, she wanted to reach out and comfort him as she might a crying child. But she stood there next to him, feeling frozen with sadness herself, as he started crying.

His parents heard him and it was only a moment later that Kitty and Red came through the kitchen door.

Kitty put her arms around her son and murmured calming words while stroking his hair, just as she had done when he had been a toddler and come to her with a scraped knee.

A few minutes later, his parents managed to convince him that he needed some sleep and the house fell into deep silence once again.

_**A/N – There will be a time jump at the start of the next chapter. It will be 1986 when Jackie returns to Point Place. I feel like I'm starting to gain some momentum now with writing this sequel and this chapter took very less time to complete, so I hope to post the next one by early next week. Hope you liked this one, please review.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – Hello to all my readers. Sorry for the loooooooong delay in updating. Thanks to those of you who encouraged me to update , I loved writing this chapter so much especially the JE scene at the end of the chapter. I got really excited when I realised I can use all my favourite 80s songs now, as the story timeline is now at mid 80s. Ive used one of my favourite songs by the Bangles here , and it actually came out , I think in 1988 , but that's close enough to use here . Thanks for reading and I hope you like this chapter.**

Late summer, 1986

Jackie Burkhart looked out the window of her plane. They were only an hour away from landing now. She was going back home after almost 3 years on the other side of the Atlantic. She pressed a hand against her chest to still her feelings of excitement and anxiety. She was determined to stay calm and cool that day.

Her mind drifted back to the phone call a few weeks ago that had started it all. It had helped her make the decision to leave Europe for good and go back home.

_The phone had been ringing insistently when she walked into her apartment on that rainy summer evening._

_Her 'Hello' had been breathless as she had run from the front door to get to the phone before it stopped._

'_Jackie, honey….it's me, how are you?'_

_It was the voice of the woman who had been more of a mother figure to her during her teen years than Pam Burkhart had ever been._

'_Mrs Forman! How are you? How's Mr Forman doing? Is everything okay?'_

_She realised with a pang that it had been over a year since she had last spoken to Mrs Forman._

'_We're all doing fine, Dear. How's your exciting job in glamorous London going? ' _

_Jackie gave a rueful smile. She had got a job straight out of college as a fashion designer in London with one of the hottest couture labels. But two years down the line, all it felt like was a mere job, something to fill her days. It couldn't make up for the emptiness of the long evenings and the dark cold nights._

'_It's okay, Mrs Forman' She tried to inject some enthusiasm into her voice._

_Kitty was already onto her next question._

'_And Jackie, how are things going with that nice young man you told me about last year? The one that you had just started dating then…..'_

_Kitty couldn't see Jackie's shrug but could hear it in her voice. ' We broke up months ago'_

_Jackie didn't want to talk about her love life right then so she jumped in with a few questions of her own._

_Mrs. Forman answered chirpily in response to Jackie's 'Heard from Steven recently?' 'Is Fez still in Chicago' and 'Does Michael call often?'_

_But there was only silence in reply to her softly worded 'How's Eric doing?'_

_Was it the static on the transatlantic phone line that it sound as though Kitty's voice was breaking right then_

'_Honey, it's still 1983 in Eric's life. He wakes up every morning and does the same thing he's done for the past three years. Which is basically nothing but feeling sorry for himself and angry at fate….'_

_Her voice was choking with emotion as she went on._

'_Jackie, he's barely living, he's just existing. I can't bear to see him wasting away like this'_

_Jackie tried not to voice her shock. She hadn't even known that Eric was living with his parents again._

'_I'm so sorry to hear that, Mrs Forman. I wish there was something I could do to help…'_

_It was almost as if these were the words that Kitty had been waiting for to dive into the purpose of her call._

'_Jackie, dear, Please come home. At least for the summer. You're always so chirpy and cheerful. Eric needs a friend like you right now.'_

_Now Jackie really was in shock for a minute._

'_Umm, Steven's always been Eric's best friend. He's the one you should be calling over. I don't think I could ….'_

_Her words trailed off as just the thought of seeing Eric again overwhelmed her._

'_Jackie, I've tried that already. Steven's spent the past couple of summers here with us and Fez was here this winter during Christmas….. Jackie, please ….'_

And of course she had agreed. She hadn't even tried to deny to herself how much she had wanted to.

Perhaps it was what she needed too, she told herself. A part of her had never really left Point Place in all these years. Maybe some time there would give her the closure she needed to move on with her life.

She told her boss at work that she wanted to move back to the US, that she liked her job but she missed home too much to stay on.

She was pleasantly surprised when she was offered a job at their New York office to start that fall. She promised to think about it over the summer.

It took her only a couple of weeks to finish the new autumn line design she had been working on and to close the lease on her apartment.

She was on the plane bound for home just a couple of weeks later.

She had very few hopes that her stay at Wisconsin would help Eric at all. They had never been best friends even all those years ago. He wouldn't open up to her about how he was feeling or listen to her advice.

But at least she was determined to cheer Kitty up as much as she could while she was there !

_A couple of hours later …._

She felt the anticipation thrumming through her veins as she walked into the arrivals lounge at the airport. Kitty had already told her that she would be sending Eric to the airport to get her home.

Right now, Jackie didn't even care that Eric might be here only because Kitty had made him come. She was beyond excited at the thought of seeing her old friend again.

And then suddenly there he was, in his trademark jeans and tee shirt, looking taller than she remembered. His brown hair looked even shaggier than usual. There were lines near his eyes that were new but his eyes still gleamed that same shade of gorgeous green when he saw her. She responded to his light wave and smile by quickening her pace toward him.

She knew he would think she was being silly sentimental, but she couldn't help giving him a hug when she reached him.

She knew the gang might eventually drift apart but their affection for each other would never dim through the years.

She pressed her lips for a short second against his cheek before pulling back. It felt so good just to see him again. Suddenly she felt so thankful to Kitty for making her come back.

She was surprised when he brushed his lips across her cheek in return before smiling down at her.

'Welcome home, Jackie. Mom is over the moon about your visit.'

A few minutes later they were in the car speeding toward home.

He had asked her a few questions about her work and places she had seen last summer in Mainland Europe.

She had answered while looking with suppressed glee out the window drinking in the familiar sights around her. The sight of the bright blue skies around her and the thought of seeing Point Place again made her feel overcome with a sudden joy.

He caught him looking at her and arched an eyebrow. She gave him a wide grin and explained it with an 'I feel thrilled to be back home again'. She was delighted when he smiled back a little in return before turning his attention back to the road. Maybe her stay here this summer might help cheer him up a little after all …

She didn't ask him anything about how he was doing. Kitty had already filled her in and she knew that every day he still relieved the nightmare that had torn his life apart 3 years ago. She would wait a couple of days before she tried to talk to him about it.

She leaned over and turned on the local radio. The song that was playing was the latest chart topper by one of her favourite bands.

'_**Close your eyes, give me your hand.**_

_**Darling, do you feel my heart beating**_

_**Do you understand?'**_

_**Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming,**_

_**Is this burning an eternal flame?**_

She loved this song. But it was such a powerful love song, a bit too heavy for a ride home with an old friend.

She tuned into another station quickly, and leaned back in her seat, only to find that the same song was playing.

_**I believe it's meant to be, darling,**_

_**I watch you when you are sleeping,**_

_**You belong with me.**_

_**Say my name, and the sun shines through the rain,**_

_**A whole life so lonely and then you come and ease the pain,**_

_**I don't want to lose this feeling ….**_

She leaned back in her seat and looked out the window, letting herself enjoy the music and the companiable silence in the car for the rest of the drive.

**A/N – Hope you enjoyed reading and I hope you leave a review too. I will keep the next few chapters coming much sooner, stay with me please! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - Hello everyone, hope you enjoy this new chapter. Thanks to everyone who read my other JE oneshot, it had almost 250 visitors this past week ! I have used two songs in this chapter and I don't own either one- the second one , you might think is a 90s song, but it actually came out a few years before it was used in the movie 'Pretty woman'.**

**Chapter 5**

Jackie found herself up at dawn the next morning. A combination of jetlag and residual excitement over being back at her hometown after years of being away.

It was drizzling outside, a sharp contrast to the weather when she had landed the previous day.

She continued lying in bed, in what used to be Laurie's room, many years ago.

Her mind went over snippets of memories of her teenage years, and the time spent giggling, laughing, crying and yelling in that big dusty room at the depths of this house.

Eventually she found herself drifting back into another even more restful sleep. When she woke again, the rain had stopped but it was still misty outside.

She showered and dressed before going downstairs. It was an hour past the usual breakfast time but Kitty and Red were still in the kitchen, at the breakfast table. Kitty had expected Jackie would sleep in that morning and had served the others their morning meal later than usual.

Kitty greeted her guest warmly and was rewarded with a dazzling smile that was rare these days in their house.

'Honey, help yourself to whatever you feel like having…..'

Jackie smiled and looked at all the steaming food on the table. Fried eggs, bacon, pancakes. Delicious ….and also overwhelmingly greasy and fatty.

She took a piece of dry toast and started nibbling on it.

'Jackie, I got some of that muesli stuff from the store this week, I remembered you saying you liked having it in the mornings with yogurt'.

Red raised his eyebrows at that and Jackie explained, 'It's a lot like granola, . Except that it's even healthier and low in fat because it's not toasted in honey or anything. Europeans love it…'

Red was looking disgusted at the thought of dried oat and yogurt for breakfast.

'I bet they love having it along with their weak tea. Pansy ass losers. They would have lost the war too if it hadn't been for us.'

'Now, Red' Kitty pitched in with a warning tone, 'Don't bully the girl, you already have Eric to bully as much as you want.'

'Where's Eric?' Jackie wanted to know.

Red and Kitty looked at each other. Kitty answered with a sigh.

'He's over at the Pinciotti house. He goes there every morning.'

_Every single morning?_

Her surprise must have been evident.

Kitty went on, 'Bob can't get much done most mornings. Eric hangs around their for a couple of hours, sometime in the kitchen, sometimes in their backyard….sometimes in Donna's room.'

Red chipped in, 'Bob wanted to sell the house and move to Florida last year. My son, the dumbass, begged him not to. So now I still have to pretend I'm friends with Bob.'

He walked off into the living room.

A few minutes later, Jackie walked across the driveway into the lawns of the house next door. It was still misty and grey with no sign of the sun.

She was surprised to hear the faint strains of a familiar melody in the air as she walked across. It got louder just when she was almost exactly halfway between the two houses.

_**Can you hear the drums, Fernando? I remember long ago another starry night like this …..**_

_**They were closer now, Fernando…..Every hour, every minute seemed to last eternally …**_

She couldn't help looking around, wondering where the music was coming from. There was no one around….

_**I was so afraid Fernando….we were young and full of life and none of us prepared to die…**_

_**And I'm not ashamed to say the roar of guns and cannons almost made me cry…**_

The music got fainter as she neared Donna's family house.

_**There was something in the air that night, the stars were bright, Fernando…..**_

_**They were shining there for you and me, for liberty, Fernando …**_

She knew the music was probably just drifting over from a car parked outside on the street or one of the neighbouring houses. The grey morning suddenly felt chilly and she wrapped her arms around herself as she reached the front door.

_**Though we never thought that we could lose, there's no regret…..**_

_**If I had to do the same again, I would my friend, Fernando …..**_

She found Eric sitting by himself in the kitchen. Bob had gone out for groceries, he explained. She went upstairs on her own, on impulse, to have a look at Donna's old room. But then realised it wasn't Donna's old room. It still was very much Donna's room even now. Everything in the room looked exactly as if Donna had left to college just the previous day …

**A WEEK LATER …..**

She had settled into a peaceful routine at her temporary home. Her home for the summer.

She found an old writing desk that no one using and set it up for herself in Laurie's room. She started working on ideas for new designs that she could use when she was back at work. She spent a lot of time with Kitty. The two of them enjoyed quiet afternoons in the kitchen, working on recipes that Jackie had shown interest in learning, they hung out together a few evenings at various LOPP's charity fundraiser events.

She even found herself liking the evenings at home where she watched TV with Red and Kitty, and Red would smile when Kitty and she giggled over something funny on the show that they watched every day at dusk.

But she was no closer to helping with what Kitty had wanted her to. She hadn't really spent any time with Eric and she had no idea what she could do to pull him out of this lethargic depression that seemed to have consumed his life.

She woke up one morning to bright sunshine and decided that she had put off visiting her childhood home long enough. When her parents had found out that she was going to be in Point Place for the summer, they had wasted no time in enlisting her help. The huge house was up for sale and the place still had too much of the Burkhart possessions lying around. Various rooms needed to be checked and things either boxed up for storage or thrown away. Jackie had promised to help work towards getting the house ready for potential buyers to view.

But what she didn't anticipate that morning was Kitty pushing Eric into coming along with her to the Burkhart mansion.

'I'm sure he won't mind driving you over there and he can help you with packing stuff up as well' Kitty pushed aside Jackie's feeble objections that she was sure she could manage on her own.

A few hours later, the duo were busy clearing up Jackie's old room. Jackie sorted through piles of stuff and decided which ones she wanted to keep, throwing them into empty boxes. Eric helped with taping, labelling and moving the boxes to the room in the house that were going to be sealed off before the house was let.

The domestic help who came in once a week to clean the place had kept the kitchen in a useable condition and Jackie was able to make them coffee for their midmorning break.

She sat by the big French windows overlooking the garden and sipped her coffee and smiled at Eric as he came over and stood nearby , looking out into the sunny garden.

'So, you're back in the US for good?'

'Yeah. My boss says they have an opening at the New York office that starts this fall so the East coast is probably my new home'

'No boyfriend waiting for you back in London?'

She raised an eyebrow; she hadn't thought he was interested in asking about any of his friend's lives anymore, he seemed immersed in his own sorrows most of the time.

'Nope. No boyfriend….'

He was still looking out the window and not at her.

'No serious relationships when you were at college?'

She couldn't believe he was asking. When had they really ever talked about this stuff? Memories of a long ago summer when they had briefly turned to each for comfort drifted into her mind and she firmly pushed it aside.

' Well, I went out sometimes with this guy during senior year and I dated this other guy for a few months the year I started working in London, but I'm not sure either of those relationships were anywhere near 'serious'….'

'Well, if you slept with the guy, then that could be an indication that it was somewhat serious'

_What the hell? Was he actually asking for an update on her sex life?_

Her cheeks were warm but she kept her voice cool.

'Well, I never had sex with the guy at work, though we dated for a few months. I wanted to take things slow but then we ended up breaking up before things got any further.

And …the guy at college….we were really just friends, but …there was this one night….' She was looking down at her coffee mug, she neither wanted to go on or stop and walk away. 'I guess I was pretty drunk and feeling sad…about something….and he comforted me ….we ended up spending the night together.'

Why was she so uncomfortable talking about this, she wondered, for God's sake she was almost 25 years old!

'Jackie, I'm not sure why you look embarrassed but not all relationships have to be about eternal promises and stuff like that ….nothing wrong in being with someone you trust and like ,even if it was just a short term thing…..'

He went on, 'Sometimes I wish so badly I could forget everything, for just one night and be with someone that way …..And feel alive again, if only for a few hours …..'

And she had thought she was blushing a few minutes ago. Her cheeks were flaming red now. Was he confessing to her that he missed sex? What was she expected to say?

She forget that this was what she had been waiting for , Eric to open up a little so she could get him talking about how he needed to move on with his life, at least for his parents' sake.

But she couldn't deal with a conversation about his sexual needs right now, when they were alone in this big house and he was looking so handsome even when he wasn't trying at all.

She got up clearing their cups away and he wandered back over to finish what they had been working on.

They had only an hour more to finish what they could for that day; Kitty wanted them back home by lunchtime. She played music on a small radio she found in her room as the two of them continued sorting stuff.

She thought she was almost done with emptying her old closet when she spotted a small box tucked away on the floor of the cupboard.

A recent hit song started playing on the radio; it was one of her personal favourites.

_**It must have been love, but it's over now …..**_

_**Lay a whisper on my pillow; leave the winter on the ground,**_

She pulled the box out and knelt down on the carpeted floor, prising it open. She only had a vague memory of what it might have held more than 8 years ago.

_**I wake up lonely, there's an air of silence, in the bedroom and all around…**_

_**Touch me now, I close my eyes and dream away …..**_

'Oh' She gave a small sound of delight as she pulled out a straggly looking rubber chicken.

Eric turned from where he was taping up a box on the other side of the room.

_**It must have been love, but it's over now….It must have been good, but I lost it somehow….**_

'Michael gave this to me when we were dating for my birthday or maybe it was Valentine's day, I don't remember' she was grinning and holding it up for him to see.

'Your Michael box, huh? What else is in there, firecrackers and water balloons?'

She pulled out an empty MacDonald's bag and looked confused for a moment before reading something that was written on it.

'Steven bought me some fries and a soda on our way home after we went out on Veteran's day one year'

She didn't say out loud that it was the only ever time that she and the boy who had hid behind his shades had kissed. But her smile said a lot when she gently kept the bag back into the box.

_**It must have been love, but it's over now …from the moment we touched till the time had ran out**_

'So, basically, the box has momentoes of guys who had a crush on you during High School …Jackie, I would have expected that you would need a huge crater for that….'

He came over and sat on the bed nearby as she got absorbed in the contents of the box.

She pulled out another item with an even bigger grin.

'Look, Fez sang a Spanish serenade to me once when Michael and I were broken up. The song was so beautiful I asked him to write it down for me'

'You know, I think whichever country he's from, they probably have awesome music….'

But Eric wasn't listening to her anymore. His attention seemed caught by something in a corner of the box. He reached in and her breath caught as she saw his long fingers pull out a green silk tie.

_**Make believing we're together, that I'm sheltered by your heart,**_

_**But in and outside I've turned to water, like a teardrop in your palm**_

There were a few seconds of silence before she said, 'I can't remember what that is. Not sure why it's in the box.'

He dropped it back in and went over to move the boxes that he had just labelled out to the other room.

She picked up the tie and smoothed her fingers over it. The green was fading a little but she felt like it was just yesterday she had tied his neck. His eyes had matched the tie so perfectly. She could almost hear the party noises and smell the scents of the flowers her mother had decorated the place with that long ago evening.

When they left a short while later, in time to be back for Kitty's lunch, she hoped he didn't notice that she had managed to stuff that box into her tote bag and was carrying it close to her as they walked to the car.

A/N – Hope you liked this short chapter. It is a bit of a filler in some ways and I know that the sequel has been somewhat sad so far , but I promise you lots of fun in the coming chapters. How could it not be, Jackie is back in Point place now ! : - )


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N – Hello everyone. I realised after looking at the feedback on the last chapter that I didn't write the end bit well at all. I should have given a bit more detail about the contents of the box, and I might go back and fix it later, but just to clarify – most of the stuff in the box related to actual events that happened on the show – the rubber chicken from Kelso, the Veteran's day date with Hyde and Fez singing to her (although I later remembered that 'Besame Mucho' is likely an Italian song not Spanish, so I messed up there as well) - but Eric's green tie was AU – it was from the party that he came to at Jackie's house as her date for that evening – the evening where they danced to the ABBA song, ring a bell ? It's in chapter 5 of the prequel to this story and you can find it in the profile page of my old id, I will try and link the story into my new ID profile page later today and sorry for assuming that everyone would remember : - ) …..and the reason Jackie acts like she can't remember that evening is , it was at the end of that evening , that she invites him up to her room and he , well to put it bluntly, he gently turns her down. So, I'm sure you agree that it's still a little embarrassing for her to refer to even 8 years later. Clearly I didn't write that scene too well; hope I do a better job with this chapter!_

_Just need to say that this chapter is not meant to be derogatory or offensive to any of the characters or real life __people that they resemble__. I __**adore **__the entire cast of T7S and any references I make here to __the personal lives of the actors__ are meant to be taken as gentle humour__only. _

**Chapter 6 **

Jackie was starting to lose hope that she could get Eric to sit down and talk about his emotions. She had a feeling that he would react with anger if she suggested therapy or counselling.

A week had passed since that day he had come with her to her old house to help clear her old room. She had gone back there alone to finish up her room and he hadn't offered to come along. And though it had seemed like he was starting to open up a little to her that day, it had been an aberration that he didn't repeat, the few times she had tried talking to him later , he had clammed up again.

She could see why Kitty was so worried though.

He seemed perfectly okay with just carrying on this way forever. He was in his mid-twenties and content to keep living at home with his parents and showing absolutely no interest in resuming or reviving a career. He left the room when Kitty dropped gentle hints that it was time he started dating again. He barely even kept in touch with the other guys anymore, all he did was sit around and brood and mope and refuse to acknowledge that he needed help and that he couldn't carry on forever like this.

She was even starting to get a little pissed off at his attitude. Did he not realise how worried his parents were about him and his future? Everyone had their own tragedies and heartbreak in life, but people just didn't give up on life altogether, you still had to keep going, didn't you?

She wanted to see him get over this and move on with his life before the summer was over. She wanted Kitty to not have to worry about her son so much anymore. Even if that meant Eric did move on to some other woman. She could live with that, she just couldn't stand to see him sad like this.

She picked up the phone, she couldn't do this on her own, and his parents had already tried everything they could. It was time to call Eric's best friend.

It was almost midday in Wisconsin but Steven sounded sleepy when he answered. Vegas was only a couple of hours behind, so it wasn't too early to be calling him, she decided.

'Steven, it's me….'

'Jackie, man, why do you always call when I'm fast asleep….'

'Why are you still in bed at 10 am on a weekday ….'

'I'm doing the late shift this week at the casino…..'

'Oh, then I'm sorry I woke you, but it's really important. How is Sam doing?'

She knew he was dating a stripper called Samantha. He had hooked up with the blonde right after moving to Vegas.

'She's good, she's at work right now ….'

_Who the hell went to see strippers dancing and taking their clothes off early in the morning?_

'Really? Is she still …..does she ….'

'No, she got bored of stripping, so she went to Harvard and became a corporate lawyer…'

His voice literally dripped sarcasm. God, what was his problem, at least Eric had a huge tragedy in his life to justify his current attitude problem.

She had already had this argument with him when he had first started dating a stripper and she wasn't a staunch feminist or anything but she couldn't help diving in yet again.

'Steven, why do you say that like it's a crazy idea? What's impossible about the idea of her giving the finger to her current sleazy employers and going back to school or something?'

'Not that it's any of your business, Jackie. But she couldn't do that even if she wanted to. She has a lot of money that she owes to people here from drinking and other nice habits that people in her family have. She wasn't born with a sliver spoon and a pony and a whole lot of options like some other princesses we know. She's doing the best she can….'

_Princess ? Wow, that was harsh, considering how hard she had worked these past couple of years to make it past the intern position that had been her entry into the world of fashion design …_

She felt annoyed enough to continue this debate even though she couldn't care less right now if Sam continued stripping for a profession for the rest of her life.

'Yeah, of course, and it's not like people with regular jobs , like cashiers and typists and librarians have loans and financial commitments that they work hard to pay off. It's not like she has any other options, of course…..I'm sure the only way to raise money is for to take her clothes off in public'

'Okay, you're right. She continues doing it because she likes it; she actually enjoys her chosen career…' He was smirking into the phone now , she could feel it through the phone lines.

He went on, when she kept silent for a few seconds, in truth, her mind was reeling at the idea of a woman in her twenties actually choosing to keep stripping because it was her career of choice. Ewwww….

'What are you even complaining about? You refused all those times that I asked you out during senior year of High School. You turned me down, Jackie, so you have no right now to come along and criticise the girl I'm with now.'

She sighed.

'Look, I didn't call up to talk about Sam. I called because, well I'm here at Point Place, at the Forman's and I'm really worried about Eric. Mrs. Forman is right, he can't go on like this forever, he's still missing Donna and hasn't moved on with his life at all ….we have to do something ….and I've tried everything I can….'

'And by that I assume you mean you took him shopping at all the best designer malls in Kenosha. Damn, you're telling me that didn't work?'

'Steven, come on, stop being a jerk , okay? I'm trying to have a serious conversation here.'

She heard him exhale and there was a few seconds of silence.

'Jackie, what do you want me to do? He has a right to stay depressed if that's what he wants to do.'

She had given this some thought already ever since Eric had spoken to her at her house last week.

'I don't think talking to him is going to help. I think he needs you guys to take him out, for ….a few beers, oh, maybe to a strip club or someplace like that …'

'This from the woman who was against anyone stripping just a minute ago …..'

'Well isn't that what some guys do to recover from break ups and all that? So maybe it will help pull Eric out of his depression?'

'We've already tried all that stuff. Last year, we took him to a joint in Chicago; some of the most gorgeous looking women I've ever seen were in there, just like Fez said. Eric spent the evening drinking but he didn't even lift his eyes up from his drink to check out the women….'

'Not even when they were stripping?' She had to know …..

'One of them even came over to give him a lap dance and asked him why he was looking so down and he had her depressed as well with the whole sad story that he wouldn't shut up about then ….'

'Okay, well that was last year. So, you should come here this weekend, maybe, and take him there again. Maybe he's ready now to enjoy it a bit more…..'

'What gave you that idea?'

'It's just something he said last week …I can't really explain it ….'

She could hear the wheels turning in his mind now. He was going to burn her now, she just knew it.

'Jackie, an easy way to find out would be for you to try stripping in front of him and see if you can get a response out of him ….' He gave an evil chuckle.

'What a delightful idea, Steven, and I'm sure Sam would be kind enough to give me some help with ideas on how I could strip for Eric …..' She was gritting her teeth; she might as well hang up if he was going to make a joke of her phone call.

'Stop being so uptight. It was a suggestion and a good one, I think. It might even work. ….'

'Steven, I'm going to hang up now, it's getting obvious that you're hung over or on something, but please think about making a visit here soon, okay? I really want to see him get better before I leave at the end of the summer.

He promised to think about it and that was good enough for her for now. She was dialling the next number on her list as soon as she disconnected the call. She would have to insist on paying for these long distance calls, especially if the other two rambled as much as Steven had…..

'Sunn systems. Michael Kelso speaking.'

It was still morning in California. But Michael sounded like he had been at his desk at work for hours already. She was impressed, maybe this new grown up Michael could be depended on to help solve problems …

'Michael, it's me Jackie…'

He sounded excited to hear from her, his tone changing instantly from business mode to warm and goofy. They hadn't spoken in months, both determined to stay friends but growing apart as their careers had taken over their lives.

Kelso had moved to Silicon Valley years ago, proposing to bank in on all the cutting edge ideas he had for bringing the power and speed of a Mainframe computer to all homes in America through the development of personal computers. There was a technology revolution happening right then and he was determined to be one of the new breed of millionaires who would go down in history for changing the way the world processed information forever.

'I haven't even told my parents yet but we've just a buyout offer from Applee computers. We could walk away with a cool couple of million each or keep the stock and take management positions on their new team. I'm so awesome, Jackie …..'

She smiled, 'so you were right about not even needing college then….'

He scoffed again at the idea of spending four more years in a classroom.

'Most of the really successful guys here are college dropouts. Besides, I'm a business leader, I come up with the vision and the ideas, and then I hire computer engineers to do all the rest, I don't need a formal education for just knowing what will sell, Jackie…'

He went on,' and you know what the best part is, I finally have someone I really care about to share this success with…'

Jackie was so excited that she almost forgot why she had called.

'Michael, that's awesome, is it someone who works in your company?...'

'No, she's from LA, I met her when I was there on a business trip….'

'I'm so happy for you …..'

'Yeah, I was bummed for a while about you turning me down right before you left America. But then I cheered up when I started dating hot California girls …..'

She bet he had cheered up. Real quickly too …..

'…But then I got tired after a while, I didn't really feel anything for any of them. And then I met HER. She is so amazing, Jackie …..She's like the perfect woman…'

'Wow, Michael, it sounds really serious …'

'Oh, it is serious. We've been dating for months. And she wanted to take it slow at first cos she thought her being like 15 years older than me meant it wouldn't work out, but I proved to her that she was wrong. '

He was still talking but her mind was reeling already. _15 years older? __Kelso was 26, was he saying that he was dating a woman in her forties?'_

'… And I was going to ask her if we could move in together soon, but I'll probably have to move in with her because she lives with her daughters. She has, like, two teenage daughters, so she can't leave them and move in with me …..'

_Huh?_

She had a million things she felt like saying right then. How was this ever going to work? He was being crazy, and this was going to end with him either getting his heart broken or breaking that woman's heart …She opened her mouth to give him a lecture and then closed it again. She had already been called a spoilt princess who didn't understand reality by one person that morning.

She started weakly, 'Michael, that sounds …awesome. Does your mother know about all this?'

'Nah, I'm not going to tell my mom until it gets really serious , like if we decided to get married or something. So, don't tell Mrs Forman right now either, okay?'

'Right, okay.' She was still biting her tongue to stop herself from saying anything that she didn't want to right now. 'Look, I called because I've been trying to help Mrs Forman ever since I got here to get Eric feeling better and I thought maybe if you came here for a visit , you could help get him moving, hey, maybe you could talk to him about that computer stuff and see if-'

'Jackie, I've called him out here a couple of times already and tried talking to him about , I can't get through to him. Hyde's better at this stuff than I am, you should call him ….'

'I just did, and he didn't have any useful ideas. Well, except for this one brilliant idea that I strip and hope that it gets Eric back to life again ….' The deep sarcasm in her voice was completely lost in translation.

'Oh man, that _is _a brilliant idea. That would so work. Jackie Burkhart dancing to sexy music and stripping her clothes off is enough to get even a robot to feel something. ' His voice drifted off as he imagined robots getting lap dances and loving it.

'Michael, we should be talking about some sensible ideas that could possibly work ….maybe he just needs counselling for a-'

'No, you're right. It wouldn't work. You're too much of a prude to ever do something like that. You couldn't even carry it off …'

_Who was he calling a prude? She so could carry it off if she ever really wanted to do something that ridiculous!_

But he was still talking.

'You know, the only girl in Point Place who could pull something like that off with class and style would be Laurie Forman. Oh, You should get Laurie to do it!' He was grinning like a moron.

'Michael, you idiot, even if I could find Laurie and no one knows where she is right now, we still couldn't do that. She's Eric's sister, moron…..'

'Oh yeah, that's too bad.'

'Okay this conversation has been useless. Look, just try and come by sometime soon okay? I think it will help if Eric saw all his friends this summer…And you probably need to be there in person anyway, when you give your mom the updated details of your exciting new relationship ….'

'Yeah sure. And I don't think this call was useless. I'm so going to ask my to-be-roomie if she would strip for me sometime, I can't believe we've been dating months and she hasn't done that for me yet…'

She gave a relieved sigh after hanging up and picked up the phone again with less hope in her heart than before. The only person in the gang who might have given her some sensible advice was lost to her forever.

Fez sounded breathless when he answered her call. They had spoken just the week before she reached Point Place.

'Jackie, can I call you back in the evening, I need to be somewhere right now and I'm late already.'

'Of course, Fez, is everything okay though ?'

'Yes, yes, everything is fine …remember that girl I told you I had just started dating …..she had a 'breakdown' and she's in rehab now ….her parents have okayed it at the hospital for me to visit her and visiting hour will be over soon so that's why I am in a hurry right now …..'

_Her parents have Okayed it? How old was she? And rehab? _

'Fez, how old is she? Why do her parents need to okay it?'

'She's 19, goddess. But the rehab centre requires parent supervision for anyone below 21. …'

_19? He was 25, why on earth would he want to date a teenager ….._

Again she remembered Hyde saying she lived in her own little castle.

She asked tentatively, 'you're sure she's not too young, Fez?'

'Oh no, she is really very mature and grown up. I might even propose to her once she gets out of rehab.'

Her head was aching a little, she wondered if Eric was really the one who needed help right now.

'Right okay, Fez. Just call me later okay. And see if you can come and visit while I'm here this summer!'

'Wait, why did u call anyway?'

'I 'm just trying to figure out how to get Eric's life back on track again …..'

'Well, I've tried already, but you should ask Kelso …he is a magnificent evil genius …sometimes I can't believe that anyone with that pretty a face can have such an intelligent brain too ….'

After she hung up, she pondered over the fruitless morning. An hour of long distance calls and the most discussed topic had been stripping. Ugh. But suddenly there was an image filling her head. She was unbuttoning her shirt slowly while Eric watched. She cut off that line of thought as her body started responding immediately and urgently to the idea….No way !

_Author Note – Hope you enjoyed this chapter. And I just want to say I made up all the silicon valley, sun(n) systems and Apple( e ) computers stuff , well I made up Kelso being part of it anyway…..and I know I didn't portray Sam very well in this chapter but she makes an actual appearance in the next chapter so we'll see if she can redeem herself then : -) …_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**A/N – Hey everyone. Sam drops in for the weekend and I just wanted to warn you that there is one scene with her and Jackie and its slightly smutty, haha , no don't worry, it's not what that sounds like, she talks to Jackie and her conversation is .. Somewhat smutty, so I've labelled it separately. If you are too young to be reading smut or you just don't prefer to, then please do avoid that bit.**

Although the phone calls to her friends had been pretty much a waste of time, she still hadn't been able to get the whole stripping for Eric idea out of her mind.

It was stupid and there was no way she could do something that brazen, but her mind seemed to insist on daydreaming about it anyway…

After running over the idea in her head endlessly for a couple of days, she wondered if some part of the idea was worth considering. Eric had already pretty much admitted to missing sex, hadn't he?

And wasn't watching a girl stripping to some hot music the type of casual physical stimulation that guys liked?

But still, the thought of her prancing around and taking off her clothes in front of him still seemed like a very lousy idea. _What if he just walked away? _

_Wait, what if he didn't, then what ….._

No, there was no way she could go that far …

But what about if she tried something a lot less potentially embarrassing than that? What about just trying to flirt with him a little at first and gauging his response?

That had to be harmless right ? And, it was for a good cause.

She spent the next few days after that, flirting with him in all the non-obvious ways that she could possibly think of. Sneaky ways that ensured she could never be suspected of actually overtly flirting.

She brushed against him lightly whenever she could, when he was standing at the kitchen counter or lounging about near the driveway. She pretended to not notice him reclining on the sofa one day and almost sat herself on his lap before excusing herself with an innocent 'oops, didn't notice you there…'

He was standing by the kitchen door one sunny morning, gazing outside when she made a big deal about how hot the summer was. And then she took off her gauzy silk blouse and sunned herself for a while out on the patio in just her thin camisole top which bared her midriff and her shoulders. She even lingered over rubbing suntan lotion on her legs , which were clad only in a pair of shorts.

She tried slipping in a few suggestive remarks when she talked as well. He was watching a sitcom on TV one day down in the basement when she seated herself next to him. A few minutes later, there was a passionate kissing scene and she didn't do what she usually might have, which was blushing a little and pretending to look at a magazine.

She smiled coyly and said, 'mmmm….that looks like a yummy kiss …..'

She might as well have been talking to herself. None of the tricks she tried seemed to work.

And it was driving her crazy. To the point where she felt like grabbing him and planting a hot smooch on his sexy lips.

She decided one Friday morning when she woke up that she would stop trying. And go back to the idea of trying to suggest that he attend grief counselling.

She walked past him seated at the kitchen table, glaring at him on her way out. Would it have killed him to kiss her a little when she had been throwing his way so many veiled invitations for a kiss?

She was about to leave for her morning jog when a car pulled up into their driveway.

_It was Steven! _

She planted a light hug on him as soon as he got out of the car.

'You came!' She was smiling.

'Course I did. I knew you'd keep calling and waking me up until I gave in and did what you wanted'

But he was smiling too and he kept his arm around her shoulders after she pulled out of the hug.

'Jackie, this is Sam'

A tall blonde had gotten out of the passenger seat and was walking over to them. She was gorgeous. From the tips of her silky blonde hair and her classically beautiful face all the way down to her _endless_ legs….

'Sam has really been looking forward to meeting all of you…' Hyde's voice had a warning tone to it. Be nice!

Jackie decided that whatever her personal opinion on professional strippers, she would be sweet to Sam. The girl was Steven's girlfriend and she would like her for that.

They went inside and the sound of Steven's voice was enough to bring a delighted Kitty rushing in to the kitchen, an indifferent looking Red right behind her.

_**The next day…..**_

It was a sweltering hot Saturday afternoon. Steven and Eric had wandered off somewhere together and Jackie had taken some of her work files down to the basement. But it was too hot to work; she lazed about watching a music channel on TV and wondered whether to doze for a while. And then Sam walked in.

Jackie scooted over to make room on the sofa. Be nice, she reminded herself.

'Jackie, Steven told me about your plans to get Eric feeling all better; you want to talk about it …?'

_Oh no…._

'Oh, there's not much to talk about really…'

'Come on Jackie. Steven's always saying how close you and Donna were, and she's not around anymore, so why don't you try talking to me …I might be able to help …..'

Jackie sighed.

'Well, I really just wanted to help actually….and she's been really worried about her son ….'

'Look, I know we don't know each other well yet, but what's the point in talking if we're not being honest. You like him, Jackie …..That's why you want to help him so much…..'

'I don't….I mean, of course, I like him, he's been my friend since I was a sophomore in High School'

But Sam contradicted her immediately. 'No, you like him, as more than a friend….'

Was there any way to stop this conversation and go back to watching television?

'Sam, my feelings …are complicated. And I don't really want to think about it right now.'

'okay, then …tell me how things have been the past couple of weeks , have you tried the stripping idea Steven suggested to you ….'

_Did Steven tell his girlfriend everything?_

'Umm….actually ….'

'Wait, Jackie, I think we need some alcohol while we talk, I'll go get some beers and anything else I can find …..'

She was off in a flash. _Alcohol in the afternoon? And beer tasted so yucky…. Well, maybe some Du__tch courage wasn't such a bad idea right now though….._

Sam was back with beer and a bottle of red wine.

'Here, I didn't think you were a beer drinking type of girl. But this is perfect for a post lunch drink' Sam handed her the wine in a plastic cup and she couldn't help thinking that it was thoughtful of the blonde to consider which drink she would prefer.

She took a few big gulps of the warm red liquid and suddenly felt like talking.

'Well, I tried as much as I could this past week to get him to ….notice me a little more. I flirted …with words and with little touches …I sunbathed in front of him ….'

'Jackie, that's amateur stuff, he's not a kid…..'

'So I bet you think stripping and lap dancing is a better idea then ….'

_Of course you would think that Sam! _

'

**Smut warning – let's hope Sam shuts up soon and I've labelled the end as well !**

'No, of course not. He can go to any strip club in Wisconsin if that's what he wants. You should do something a lot more mind-blowing than that…'

_More mind-blowing than stripping?_

Samantha curled her feet up on the sofa as she warmed up to her idea.

'You should …Oh, you should ask him to come to your room one evening to help with something …like moving a table or something ….and then later when he does come in …pretend like you forgot you called him and act surprised….but you should be on the bed with very little clothes on when he walks in ….'

Now she had Jackie a little curious, 'What's so mind blowing about that, Sam?

'Wait, I'm not finished yet. Pretend like you were busy touching yourself when he walks in… and after he comes in, ….don't stop, just keep doing it ….slowly ….and let him enjoy watching you ….. '

_What the …..? And how did Sam manage to look so wide eyed and innocent after just saying that…_

'Sam! That's DISGUSTING ….it sounds desperate and slutty, I could never do that ….and anyway, he would never like something that unclassy …' Jackie had finished her first cup of wine and was on her second, she forgot that was supposed to be nice to her new friend.

But Sam wasn't fazed at all. She snorted delicately.

'Of course he'll like it, you silly girl. He's a man. It's like, one of their favourite erotic fantasies. He'll be instantly aroused and he wouldn't be able to turn and leave the room even if his life depended on it. You shouldn't act nervous or unsure; you should relax and enjoy what you're doing. Like you're really turned on by touching your own breasts or between your legs, and then tell him you were thinking about him and that's why you couldn't help yourself ….and then ask him if he wants to join in ….believe me, he'll be in your bed before you've even finished asking …..'

Jackie's stomach was in butterflies, her mind was going crazy now imagining the scene that Sam had helpfully just described for her….and then taking it further in her head with the picture of Eric getting into bed with her…and getting on top of her, covering her hands with his and then covering her body with his, whispering her name in her ear ….

Sam was blithelessly continuing, ' Of course, the only trouble then is, you've already turned him on pretty bad so he'll be in a real hurry to get himself off , so you need to get him to then slow it down. But it can be done, well unless you want it really fast too –'

'Sam, please ….just stop talking for a minute_ ….._'

Samantha looked at the petite brunette. She had a dark blush on her cheeks and she was biting her lip in discomfort.

'You're crazy about him' She smirked and then smiled at Jackie's instant response.

'Shut up! You're the crazy one here'

'Well, think about it and try my idea out soon. Or some creative version if it ….He'll really love that you did that for him.'

Jackie knew she was supposed to feel wholly disgusted by the sentiment that kinky stuff in bed could be used to get a guy's affection but had to admit to a part of her feeling intrigued….

'I guess you've tried these kinds of things a lot, huh?'

'Of course and so have all my friends too. There's nothing wrong, Jackie, with being a little fun and adventurous in bed, guys love being with a girl who's not afraid of showing him that she really enjoys sex with him.'

_Hmmm, well put like that, it sounded downright logical…_

'Of course, with guys, you always have to know where to draw a firm line. You should always say no to gross stuff , even if they're begging to try it , like …' Samantha named one particular type of sex that undeniably seemed to enthrall guys as much as it has disgusted women since the beginning of time.

'Ewwww' Jackie felt nauseous at the very mention of the word.

'Yeah' Sam was looking disgusted too. 'I don't have a single friend who likes or is into that'. She gagged a little at the very thought of it.

Suddenly Jackie realised she could actually like this girl sitting next to her a little bit. She wasn't all bad, not at all.

'Sam, want some more beer? I'll go this time ….'

**Okay, end of smutty talk …. But we're not completely out of the woods yet till Sam gets in that car and leaves :- )**

When the boys came down an hour later, the two of them were still on the sofa still talking but in giggled whispers now as both of them were more than a little tipsy.

Sam started telling Hyde how many beers she had downed, but Jackie could only blush as Eric seemed to be staring a little at her. Probably surprise at seeing her half lying on the sofa and giggling when he walked in.

She got up on shaky feet. 'I'm going to go upstairs and take a nap. My head aches a little..'

She stumbled a little by the couch and Eric was on his feet again , holding out a hand to help her.

'Eric, I think you should carry Jackie upstairs, she would fall if she took the stairs on her own right now….' Sam managed before giggling again.

'No! I'm fine' Jackie almost fled to the stairs. 'Both of you should stay here and keep an eye on Sam. She's pretty drunk, I had to stop her from taking off her top twice already….'

And with that weak burn, she managed to make it up the stairs on her own.

_**Sunday evening …**_

Jackie helped Steven load the last of his bags into his car. Sam and he were leaving, and they would drive through the night, both had work the next day. Well, if you could call what Sam did, as actual work?

They stood by the car, and he was silent behind his shades for a minute.

'It was nice seeing Red and again ….I miss them sometimes….'

'Yeah, I know you do' She replied. He slipped his arm loosely around her shoulders and she wrapped one arm around his back. She wished the gang could be back together again, in the basement with their entire lives still in front of them …..laughing at Kelso's burns…

'Place still seems strange though without Donna next door …..'

'Yeah, I know what you mean…' it would always be that way, she knew.

'Jackie, you should visit Vegas soon ….and bring Eric with you ….'

She tensed a little, hoping he wouldn't ask her about her feelings for Eric. Please God, let it not be obvious to anyone, not for now at least…..

But he didn't say anything and she was thankful for that.

'I think I like your new girlfriend, Steven'

He smiled a little behind his shades and she went on

'In fact, I like her well enough that I'm going to drag her to a career counseller when I see her next time.'

The two of them could see Sam walking through the kitchen with Eric next to her.

What could Sam possibly be saying , she seemed to be vividly narrating , gesturing with her hands and Eric was listening …..

The conversation became audible as they neared the kitchen door.

'And we ended up staying out in the sun too long but then I went to Jackie's room later that night and she rubbed some cream on me that helped with the sunburn. I was only in my nightshirt but I didn't mind, cos Jackie was wearing even less than I was….'

_What the hell ?_

'I mean she was only wearing her panties and a tank top because of the heat. And I swear, she has magic in her fingers-' Sam was saying as they walked out into the driveway.

_This was too low, even for Sam ….._

'Samantha!'

She shot the tall girl a withering icy stare but Sam just beamed.

'Just trying to be helpful, Jackie….it's always good to warn people about the dangers of sunburn ….'

With that, she sashayed her way into the waiting car.

Hyde smirked at his friends,' Can't wait to start this road trip, I bet Sam won't mind telling that story all over again for me …'

'Steven, get inside the car, Sam's waiting' Jackie snapped.

Kitty and Red joined them as they all waved Hyde and his girl off.

**A/N – Hope you liked this chapter and I'll admit it was kind of fun to write. And I do NOT condone Sam's profession in anyway, but I couldn't help feeling a little jealous of Jackie for having some fun gal time with her, all recent conversations with my gal pals have mostly been about potty training, toddler speech development and the like. :- )**

**I hope to get my next chapter up early next week so stay tuned.**


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